Materials: Cast, Painted, Gilded, Red Copper (Sold as a set of five)

Size: 18 cm

Description:

The Five Sakya Patriarchs (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་གོང་མ་རྣམ་ལྔ་, Wylie: sa skya gong ma rnam lnga) are five important patriarchs of the Sakya school (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་པ་, Sa skya pa) of Tibetan Buddhism. They had a profound influence on the religious and political development of the Sakya school, establishing its prominent position within Tibetan Buddhism. During the Yuan Dynasty, they influenced the entire course of Tibetan history through the theocratic Sakya Pa regime. The following details the influence, status, name, and the origin of the usage of the Five Sakya Patriarchs.

1. The Influence and Status of the Five Sakya Patriarchs

The Five Sakya Patriarchs played a crucial role in the development of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, founding, transmitting, and promoting the teachings. During the Yuan Dynasty, they used their political influence to establish the Sakya school as one of the dominant schools in Tibet. Their influence is primarily manifested in the following areas:

1. **Religious Influence**:

- The Sakya school, with the Lamdre Dharma (Tibetan: ལམ་འབྲས་, lam 'bras) as its core doctrine, emphasizes the practice of combining exoteric and esoteric teachings, prioritizing exoteric and esoteric teachings. The Five Sakya Patriarchs systematized and passed down this teaching, particularly the Lamdre Dharma and the Kalachakra Tantra, making the Sakya school unique within the tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

- By translating Indian Buddhist texts, establishing monasteries (such as Sakya Monastery), and transmitting tantric teachings, the Five Sakya Patriarchs promoted the revival of Tibetan Buddhism during the Late Spreading Period (after the 10th century). They incorporated the academic traditions of India's Nalanda Monastery into Tibetan Buddhism, enriching its philosophical and practical systems.

- Phagpa (the fifth), one of the Five Sakya Patriarchs, created the Phagpa script (a new Mongolian script) for translating Buddhist scriptures and serving as one of the official scripts of the Yuan Dynasty. This not only promoted the spread of Buddhism but also fostered cultural exchange between Tibet and Mongolia.

2. **Political Influence**:

- Phagpa, one of the Five Sakya Patriarchs, established a close relationship with Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty. He was granted the titles of "State Preceptor" and "Imperial Preceptor" and concurrently headed the General Administration Office (later renamed the Xuanzheng Office), responsible for managing Tibet's military, political, and religious affairs. This marked the first establishment of the Sakya regime (1253-1358), a unified political and religious system in Tibet. The Sakya school thus became the political and religious center of Tibet.

- With the support of the Yuan Dynasty, the Sakya regime ruled Tibet for 105 years, establishing 13 administrative institutions, including the Wanhu Prefecture, effectively governing Tibet and establishing the political prominence of Tibetan Buddhism.

- Phagpa's position as imperial tutor extended the influence of Tibetan Buddhism to Mongolia and the Central Plains. Many Yuan Dynasty emperors accepted Tibetan Buddhist precepts, leading to the widespread spread of Tibetan Buddhism among the various Mongolian tribes.

3. **Cultural and Academic Influence**:

- The Fifth Sakya Patriarch's academic contributions included the compilation and transmission of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. Sakya Monastery, known as the "Second Dunhuang," houses a vast collection of religious, historical, and architectural artifacts, profoundly influencing the academic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

- The Sakya tradition's "Flower Teaching" (named for the red, white, blue, and black stripes on the walls of Sakya Monastery) embodies its teachings, which integrate the wisdom, compassion, and power of Manjushri, Avalokitesvara, and Vajrapani. This symbolic culture has influenced Tibetan Buddhist art and architecture.

4. **Influence of Succession and Institutions**:

- The Fifth Sakya Patriarch established the Sakya tradition's hereditary succession system, distinguishing between the monastic (master-disciple) and the lay (hereditary) lineage. This system of succession influenced the subsequent Sakya Dharma King system.

- The succession of the Fifth Sakya Patriarch established the Sakya tradition's unique position among the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug). As a successor to the past and a gateway to the future, the Sakya tradition influenced the formation of the later Kagyu and Gelug traditions.

II. Names of the Five Sakya Patriarchs

The following are the names of the Five Sakya Patriarchs, all important leaders of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. Most of them are named "Gyaltsen" (Tibetan: རྒྱལ་མཚན་, rgyal mtshan, meaning "Victory Tower") or similar titles to reflect their religious status:

1. **Khön Könchok Gyalpo (Tibetan: དཀོན་མཆོག་རྒྱལ་པོ་, 1034–1102)**:

- Founder of the Sakya school. He founded Sakya Monastery in 1073, laying the foundation for the Sakya school. Originally a Nyingma monk, he later converted to the New Translation school and established the Sakya school.

2. Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092–1158)

- Son of Kunchok Gyalpo, he systematized the Lamdre Dzogchen teachings, further enriching the Sakya tradition and is revered as the first Sakya Dharma King.

3. Sonam Tsemo (1142–1182):

- Son of Gongga Nyingpo, he was a scholar with profound academic attainments. He focused on translating Buddhist scriptures and transmitting Buddhist teachings, and expanded the Sakya North Monastery.

4. Drakpa Gyaltsen (1147–1216):

- Younger brother of Sonam Tsemo, he further consolidated the teachings and monastic development of the Sakya school, and made significant contributions to the expansion of the Sakya North Monastery.

5. Phagpa (Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, Tibetan: འགྲོ་མགོན་ཆོས་རྒྱལ་འཕགས་པ་, 1235–1280):

- Nephew of Drakpa Gyaltsen, the fifth patriarch of the Sakya school. He was named "State Teacher" and "Imperial Teacher" by Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty. He created the Phagpa script and established the Sakya school's political power. He was the most politically influential of the five patriarchs.

3. The Role and Influence of Drakpa

"Drakpa" means "name" or "reputation" in Tibetan and is often found in the names of Sakya patriarchs, such as Tsongkhapa's (Tibetan: ཙོང་ཁ་པ་, Tsongkhapa) "Losang Drakpa" (meaning "Name of Wisdom") or Phagpa's (Tibetan: བློ་གྲོས་རྒྱལ་མཚན་, Blo gros rgyal mtshan, meaning "Wisdom Banner of the Saint"). Among the Five Sakya Patriarchs, Drakpa Gyaltsen is the Fourth. His influence and status are described below:

1. **Religious Contributions**:

- Drakpa Gyaltsen inherited the teachings of his elder brother, Sonam Tsemo, and focused on the Sakya Tantric tradition, particularly the promotion and practice of the Lamdre Dharma. He made significant contributions to the expansion of Sakya North Monastery, adding several Buddha and Dharma Protector Halls, making Sakya Monastery a significant center of Tibetan Buddhism.

- He emphasized the balance between scholarship and practice, ensuring the unity of Sakya doctrines in theory and practice, and had a direct influence on the later teachings of the Phagpa lineage.

2. **Political Status**:

- Although the Sakya political power had not yet taken shape during Drakpa Gyaltsen's time (12th-early 13th century), his connections with local forces consolidated the Sakya political influence in Tibet, laying the foundation for Phagpa's later collaboration with the Yuan Dynasty. - His time coincided with the late Tibetan propagation period, when the Sakya tradition gradually emerged as a major religious sect. Drakpa Gyaltsen's efforts in monastic management and sectarian organization provided a solid foundation for the expansion of the Sakya tradition.

3. **Cultural Influence**:

- Drakpa Gyaltsen participated in the construction and preservation of cultural relics at Sakya Monastery, particularly the construction of the Utse Nyingma Hall and the Gurong Complex at Sakya North Monastery. These buildings have become cultural symbols of the Sakya tradition.

IV. The Origin and Use of the Name "Drakpa"

1. **Origin of the Name**:

- "Drakpa" (Tibetan: གྲགས་པ་, Wylie: grags pa) means "name," "reputation," or "reputation" in Tibetan. It is often used as the Dharma name of eminent Tibetan Buddhist monks, symbolizing their wisdom and the spread of their teachings. For example, Tsongkhapa's name, "Losang Drakpa," means "Name of Wisdom." The "Gyaltsen" (rgyal mtshan) in Phagpa's original name, "Lodro Gyaltsen," also has a similar honorific connotation to "Dakpa."

- Among the Five Sakya Patriarchs, Drakpa Gyaltsen's name, "གྲགས་པ་རྒྱལ་མཚན་," combines "reputation" (grags pa) and "victory banner" (rgyal mtshan), implying that his teachings spread like a banner and symbolizing the lofty status of a religious leader.

2. **Usage**:

- In the Sakya tradition, Dharma names such as "Dakpa" are typically bestowed by a guru or family, reflecting a monk's religious qualifications or mission. For example, Drakpa Gyaltsen's Dharma name may have been bestowed by his elder brother, Sonam Tsemo, or by family elders, reflecting his role in the transmission of the Dharma.

- "Drakpa," as part of the Dharma name, is often used in formal contexts, such as in religious texts, monastic records, and ceremonial ceremonies. In daily life, Sakya monks may be referred to by their shortened or colloquial names, but their full names are used in formal transmissions as a sign of respect.

- In Tibetan Buddhism, names similar to "Drakpa" are also found in other traditions, such as Tsongkhapa of the Gelugpa school, demonstrating the prevalence of such names within Tibetan Buddhism, symbolizing the dissemination of wisdom and the Dharma.

V. Summary

The Five Sakya Patriarchs hold a pioneering and inheriting role in Tibetan Buddhism. Through their religious legacy, political influence, and cultural development, they established the Sakya school as one of the four major Tibetan Buddhist schools. They also influenced the course of Tibetan history during the Yuan Dynasty through the Sakyapa regime. Drakpa Gyaltsen, as the Fourth Patriarch, played a crucial role in the transmission of the Dharma and monastic development, laying the foundation for the political achievements of Phagpa. The name "Zhaba" reflects Tibetan Buddhism's reverence for wisdom and fame, and is widely used among high-ranking monks, embodying their religious and cultural significance. The name and teachings of the Fifth Sakya Patriarch remain at the core of the Sakya school, influencing the development and spread of Tibetan Buddhism.